To Oak, or Not to Oak? Two New Zealand Whites help answer the question
| September 23, 2010 | Posted by Jeremy under Potenza Wine Store, THE WINE |
Does oak aging improve white wines? I used to think I knew the answer and was against any oak ever touching my whites. Purity and acid! That was my war cry.
Tastes change, however, and I’ve gained a better understanding of how oak flavors and barrel ageing change wine. Understanding has led to an appreciation of the results when the process is carefully managed.
Ageing wine in oak imparts some of the character of the wood while introducing small amounts of oxygen. Various aromas and flavors can be introduced from the wood to the wine: vanilla, clove/nutmeg spiciness, caramel and cream. These flavors can be subtle or pronounced, depending on the wine, barrels, types of oak used and the length of time the wine stays in the barrels.
The minute amount of oxygen that barrels allow in also affects wine, dulling its bite while developing richness and even nutty tones to whites.
For those who prefer wine crafted for balance, the oak can be problematic. A grape needs to have powerful natural aromas and flavors to integrate any oak characteristics it is exposed to or oak just overwhelms all the nuances. Without high-quality grapes, oaky flavors dominate or just taste disjointed from the natural character of the wine.
The overuse of oak barrels has marred a lot of otherwise decent wines and left me suspicious of oak. Some whites benefit from judicious barrel aging and oak can give balance to wine.
Recently, I tasted wines from the Nueford Winery in Nelson, New Zealand. Unlike many of his Kiwi colleagues, John Kavanagh, the winemaker at Neudorf, has made his reputation with Chardonnay rather than Sauvignon Blanc.
The Chardonnays crafted by Kavanagh have a rich hazelnut frame from the oak they are aged in. The oak doesn’t suffocate the fruit, rather the intense fruit and minerality of his Chardonnay is given better definition through judicious barreling. The natural intensity of the Chardonnay has been tempered just enough to add complexity to the wine. The zip on the finish makes this wine food-friendly as well, a delight with cream sauces.
Perhaps even more surprising is the Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand makes incredibly intense Sauvignon Blancs that can have over-the-top grapefruit and grassiness. Kavanagh uses a limited amount of neutral barrel-aged wine to give texture and weight to his Sauvignon, the result being a surprisingly satisfying weight for a Sauvignon Blanc. But the time in barrel also transforms the sharpest edges of the grape’s flavor into a more unique and nuanced experience – grapefruit and grass morphs into ginger and honeydew. Delicious.
To oak or not to oak – the problem is not the answer but the question. Oak aging can be beneficial for those grapes that need weight and taming. The natural flavors of a wine can also be smothered when barrel aging and oak flavors are handled poorly. The question should be when and how oak improves a wine, and any honest winemaker will tell you the answer is as nuanced as great wine.
More good reads on this topic
Dave McIntyre from the Washington Post on Chardonnay and oak
(add hyperlink http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/15/AR2009021501339.html
Knife Skills
| September 14, 2010 | Posted by robbie under YOUR TABLE |
Zola Wine & Kitchen’s Sous Chef Robbie goes over basic knife skills. Watch the video and learn how to cut an onion without tearing up.
1) Don’t be afraid to place your hand close to the blade of the knife this gives you more control and a firmer grip
2) Cut onion in half to stop the vegetable from rolling around
3) Identify which is the top and which is the root…. Look at inside of onion, see which end is pointing up
4) Position board at end of counter and position onion at end of the board, this prevents your hand from bumping into the counter, allowing nice smooth slices
5) Take athletic stance..one leg in front of the other..get level with the vegetable to allow nice, flat, level cuts
6) Start cutting a half inch up from the base, and cut into ¾ into the onion
7) Go up another ¼ inch and cut 3/4 into the onion
8) Continue up the onion a ¼ inch at a time cutting horizontal slices until you reach the top of the onion
9) Rotate the onion so the top of the onion is facing you
10) Pinch the sides of the onions as you slice through the onion so it stays together, starting three quarters of the way back
11) Now enjoy you’re beautifully cut onion!
Montepulciano the Grape (no, not the village) is a Lovable Big Guy
| September 2, 2010 | Posted by Jeremy under Potenza, THE FOOD |
This title needs explaining. Montepulciano is one of those incredibly confusing names in Italian wine that can be applied to a grape, village, and style of wine made by the eponymous village. The village (in southern Tuscany) and style are Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, respectively. This blog is not about those, even though they delicious in their own right.
No, this blog is about the grape Montepulciano, which I have become a big fan of over the years. Perhaps it is because I imagine this grape to be the perpetual underdog, full of potential but struggling against the better-hyped heavyweights to make itself a name. In my mind Montepulciano is the Rocky Balboa of Italian wine.
Hear me out on this one. Montepulciano, like Rocky, is no lightweight; it has the plumy richness of a cab and a meaty/spicy animal side like syrah, all balanced out by a bit of the edgy zip that makes Sangiovese such a good food wine (also like Sangiovese, and perhaps Rocky, Montepulciano has an affinity for tomato-based sauces). What set it apart are the naturally soft and sweet tannins of the grape – its charming nice guy side.
Wine writers often use words like soft, juicy and generous to describe their reactions to the wines made with Montepulciano. They are referring to the lack of bite or drying roughness in Montepulciano and the full, easily likable flavors (think spiced blackberries or cherry compote). Montepulciano’s supple sweet tannins can be made bolder in higher end bottlings with time in oak barrels and careful grape selection, but in general this grape is carries little of the bite you get from other full-bodied reds.
Better yet, Montepulciano in general is also generally very affordable, as its regional variations do not have the name cache of others like Chianti (main grape: Sangiovese) or Barolo (Nebbiolo). Montepulcian The vast majority of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo is consumed in Italy as the table wine of choice. There’s good reason for the Montepulciano’s more often than not the name is an indicator you are getting a good buy on decent wine. Higher-end Montepulcianos are also made in Abruzzo and can often be well-priced for the quality of wine they represent.
Montepulciano also features in some serious blends from Le Marche, a region which extends northward from Abruzzo along the Adriatic coast (Le Marche could be imagined as the hamstring of the Italian boot). This region has been something of a favorite of mine recently, and part of the reason is the fabulous wines hailing from the Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero areas (both DOCs). Both generally contain Montepulciano and the better ones can age well and take on greater complexity.
Why isn’t Montepulciano a superstar grape? Is it because the name is shared with a wine-producing Tuscan village? Who knows? The grape has all the potential of a star performer but has yet to break it big. Perhaps it will some day. In the meantime, ignore its second card status and seek this grape out on your next trip to the wine shop.
Don’t just take my word for it – click the links below for some newer and older discussions of Montepulciano and Abruzzo:
Mike Ricceti – Houston Examiner
A snippet about the region and its wines from Delicious Italy
Walk into Your Wine Shop with a Spirit of Adventure
| August 27, 2010 | Posted by Jeremy under Potenza Wine Store, THE WINE |
What’s your favorite thing about wine? There are innumerable answers to that question but for me the clear winner is that wine presents endless opportunities for exploration. Wine is fascinating because it is always changing, growing and being driven forward by adventurous growers and up and coming regions. The last few decades have seen a remarkable expansion of the varietals, styles and regions available. Just think, who would have ordered Malbec off a menu ten years ago?
The so-called New World of wine has been at the forefront of this expansion, with South America (especially Chile and Argentina) picking up what Australia, New Zealand and South Africa began and now leading the charge. Several New-Old World countries have also made their presence felt in the US and are adding their unique flavors to the dizzying expansion of wine choices. Good examples of this include Portugal, Spain and Austria, whose Douro, Rioja and Grüner Vetliner have worked their ways into any respectable multinational wine list. Many are now looking to Eastern Europe for the next wave of hot-new-regions.
A surprising result of all this growth has been the prolific growth in the number of grapes available from one of the oldest producers of wine in the world – Italy. Italy has more grape varietals being produced for wine than any other country. The truly exciting part of this is that more and more of these varietals are becoming available here in the US. Italy has practically become a world of wine to discover unto itself. That’s what has made working in Italian-focused wine shop like Potenza Wine such a great adventure. There always seems to be a wonderful new something for the adventurous soul.
So what about those who have found the vino equivalent of their special someone – whether that be New Zealand Sauv Blancs or California Cabs – and who loathe to move on? I say, great. Relish that confidence in your own tastes. But don’t let that hold you back from exploring. There just might be something else out there for you. Within the ever-growing world of wine chances are, there is.
Where to begin? The NY Times recently had an article on obscure grapes you should know and so much more information exists for the wine lover online. Books can be helpful as well – anything from Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson or Matt Kramer is a good bet. However, the best and most straightforward way is to go to your local wine shop and ask a wine seller you trust. Let them know what you like and then tell them you are feeling adventurous. If they are worth their salt they’ll love the opportunity to introduce you to the next special someone.
Tasting Tour in Chicago
| August 10, 2010 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
At the beginning of last week my wife, Jaime and I were deciding whether we should go to the eastern shore or possibly the jersey shore for the weekend. During this discussion we received an airfare alert for a very reasonably priced ticket to Milwaukee. I know what you’re thinking, unless I’m picking up a new Harley at the factory, which I wasn’t unfortunately, why go to Milwaukee? First reason that’s where one of Jaime’s sisters lives and second, which was my true motive, is that Chicago is only about an hour or so south. So the plan was set, we would have a quick afternoon visit with the Joan and then head to Chicago to reconnect with some friends and eat.
Saturday night we hooked up with some friends from my last restaurant in Denver. Drinks and frites, pork rinds, headcheese and house made pretzels first at a great American gastro pub style establishment called Publican. Here they truly pay great attention to the craft of beer making as well as the hog. Next up more snacks and great cocktails at Gilt a great place where the gin smash would have lived up to its name if it wasn’t for my 9:45 reservation at L2o. At L2o a very highly refined and beautifully appointed setting, we eased into our seats for what would be a two and a half hour dining experience that would focus on the perfection of seasonable ingredients being everything they could be. The service was impeccable, the wine delightful and the food delicious. Among my favorite dishes here was the tai snapper with flavors of green curry, the chocolate surprise for dessert was an explosion of flavor as well.
Sunday morning still feeling the effects of last night, I somehow managed to get a quick workout in before brunch at North Pond. Zucchini muffins, poached farm egg, roast leg of lamb and peach tart. All this and overlooking North Pond, I can’t think of a better way to start a rainy Sunday morning. After brunch the rain had stopped and the skies cleared nicely. What to do next, its only 3 in the afternoon and dinner isn’t until 8:30. Luckily for us there is a Calder exhibit going on at the Museum of Contemporary Art. After spending a few hours looking at great works of art I’ve realized two things, first, I would really love to have a Calder mobile in my home and second I have a strange desire for a sazerac, so back to the hotel. As I recline into the very comfortable chairs of the lounge and await my cocktail I can’t help myself from noshing on the olives and cheese sticks that are oh so appealing. Now that I’m thoroughly relaxed its time to get ready for dinner. Off to Alinea our destination for this evenings’ dinner. Tonight’s meal wasn’t as mush dinner as it is an all consuming alternate reality. Where throughout the meal you are called upon to participate while the entire time you are encouraged to have fun. This was a three hour roller thrill ride that you didn’t want to end. The meal kept you guessing what’s next? How could he top that? I didn’t think that was possible, finally when can I come back?
Chicago is a delicious town and I can’t wait to taste some more.
Hard Shell Crabs
| August 4, 2010 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
This past Sunday I set out on my weekly drive out of the city and headed to the shore just to walk on the beach. About a half hour into the drive a large electronic bill board was flashing all lanes closed at exit 41. As my luck would have it I need to get past exit 41 to in order to arrive at my final destination which was to be Lewes, Delaware. On the positive side of that I was just outside of Annapolis and it was around 3 pm so I felt it would be appropriate to start happy hour a bit early. Since I am not one to just drink, I need to eat as well. I figured what better way to celebrate the perfect weather than with beer and crabs. And the search began.
This being only the second time I have been in Annapolis I started by calling some former locals and as well as some crab lovers. After a few texts, calls and emails the recommendations were in and it was unanimous, we were on our way to Cantler’s on the River. It’s now 3:30 and I’m figuring it’s the perfect time to get in quickly and hang for a few hours before making the trip back to DC. As I pulled into the parking lot there was an attendant directing me to a secondary overflow lot because lot 1 was completely full. I park and head over to the restaurant, I’ll tell you as I approached the restaurant I knew I had been given great advice. There was what looked like a lemonade stand selling beer right outside the patio on the river.
Walk inside and I was in heaven it was a simple old school environment nothing but canned beer and basic booze. I put my name in and head to the bar while I wait for a table outside. I kick back with a margarita and simply relax, the only thing missing at this point is some Buffet on the radio, Margaritaville perhaps. As my I’m paying my bar tab my table is ready and I transition to the outside where the tables are large communal picnic style lined with heavy brown paper. Since there are only two of us we just go for the crab boil with crab legs added and a crab cake entrée. I order up another margarita and am starting to become giddy with anticipation. All around me the only sounds are of the hammers cracking the crab claws and the sound of oh so rewarding slurping of people getting into the legs, back fins and cavities of the recently steamed hard shells. About ten minutes later our food arrives and it is glorious plump clams and mussels with shrimp and of course hard shells. As I dig in I go for the low hanging fruit first, clams, mussels and shrimp. Then its time to get my hands dirty. Fins first little bits of heaven, then the claws crack them right and it’s the perfect cocktail claw. Now to the body pick out the lumps of meat and dip them in the drawn butter, I could do this all day. The crabs were delicious, tender and tasted like more. Unfortunately it was time to head back to the city so I pay up and head out the whole time looking forward to the next time I find myself in the Annapolis area so that I can enjoy a four to five hour crab fest.
Yes with hard shells there is work involved but the reward is well worth it. Crack a couple open today.
Bites Menu
| July 21, 2010 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
Recently I’ve been able to get out to many of our wonderful local eateries. In doing this I have come across one small obstacle. That obstacle is the fact that even my stomach is not large enough to hold everything I want to try. See, for me the whole point of dining out is to sample a chefs creativity and as much of it as you can. So dinner after dinner I order everything I would like to try and either leave unbelievably full or leave a ton of food on the plates even though I may want to continue eating. At some point one must succumb to reality. This goes the same for wine I believe every meal should consist of champagne, white and red, as well as port or Madeira to wrap things up. Half bottles for the beverage option usually works well for me. In order to encourage our guests to partake in this philosophy it was evident that I would need to create a sort of mini appetizers selection. Since the beginning stages of development it only made sense that we would pair these small bites with samplings of wine.
Onto the menu development stage, Potenza is the place and Italian is the style. It just so happens that now is a perfect time to be starting this because there are so many fun little things that are in season and will work well with this format. I start collecting items, squash blossoms, figs, local summer squashes, local veal, summer truffles, cauliflower and some ahi tuna just because its good. Now that I have a bunch of fun things to experiment what do I do with them? Since I want each of these items to focused there will only be supporting flavors to the main ingredient. I started with the figs, balsamic is a must, then add just a touch of gorgonzola and why wouldn’t you want to wrap the whole thing with house cured pancetta? The first of seven bites was born.
Next, ahi tuna in all of its sashimi grade splendor. This must be the simplest of all the bites. Black olive pesto on house made lovash finished with just a touch of maldon sea salt. Then there’s the veal, I’m a huge fan of osso bucco, braised veal shank but now is not the season for a big plate of richly braised meat but what if you used that meat mixed with something. I go right to arancini, those crisply fried risotto balls of love. Local braised veal arancini because fried risotto is always in fashion. A velvety smooth cauliflower puree topped with briefly seared diver scallops and a kiss of fennel pollen. Stone roasted local vegetables with house made mozzarella and creamy garlic. In the summertime there just has to be a bruschetta so why not top it with our house cured salmon, some charred frisee and caperberries. And lastly we need to stuff and crisp those wonderfully seasonal squash blossoms, truffled chicken and ricotta comes to mind immediately, why not place them on a lightly truffled asparagus sauce. There was no reason not to.
Now that the bites have been written its time to eat. See you at Potenza to try our bites with pairings!
Seafood
| June 29, 2010 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
With the weather warming I find myself craving more seafood. The beauty about seafood is the simple fact that there are so many different species that yield way to a variety of flavors and textures. My problem is that when dining we only come across only a standard offering such as salmon, ahi, bronzino, grouper, halibut, rock fish, sea bass, scallops, shrimp, calamari, lobster, mussels, clams and a few others. I will first say that all of the aforementioned fish and shellfish are delicious and should be consumed, but these are a very small minority of the vast count of edible species that exist. It will be my mission moving forward to bring a constantly evolving seasonal catch to our restaurants.
Some items I have served in the past but that I rarely come across on restaurant menus these days. There’s Gurnard, which when prepared gives way to a firm medium flavored tender meat. This fish is traditionally used in bouillabaisse but I served it on a compote of fresh shelling beans with cured ham and fenugreek, heirloom tomato water. What about the king of all fish as far as I’m concerned, wild European Turbot or Brill, these two are members of the flatfish tribe, fluke, flounder, but the meat, rich and robust flavor of wild turbot is light years ahead of the rest. I also haven’t seen much abalone on menus, when prepared correctly abalone are a special treat. Another favorite is rouge or red mullet, I love this fish it has a pronounced flavor that pairs well with braised mustard greens ravioli and charred lemon emulsion. Don’t forget about cuttlefish, a little spice some acidity, green beans and crispy tempura herbs, now that’s a winning dish. Monchong now this is a fish that when poached and butter and served with a rock shrimp compote that is slightly sweet and salty brings your experience to another level. Suzuki is not just an automotive company it’s also a great eating fish from the shores of Japan. Barramundi from the northern coast of Australia gets a great crisp skin and broad, flakey flesh that delights the palate.
Here are a few items that are more common that would be nice to see more often on local menus. Walleye Pike, John Dory, Hebi, Loup de Mer, Spanish mackerel, yellow tail, robalo and sardines. The previous fish are among a very short list of items that I long for. There are many others that I don’t know about and if someone is so kind to introduce them to me I would be very appreciative. So start demanding more of a variety from the restaurants you frequent.
Food and Wine 2010
| June 25, 2010 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
Mid-June has become my favorite time of year these days. Simply put, this is when the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen is held. Since I spent my younger days working in Aspen, I have experienced this unbelievable festival at many different levels. Early on it was all about getting your hands on a pass so that you were able to get into the grand tasting and drink great wine all day long. As time goes on it became less about drinking and more about learning as much as I could. Each year there are dozens of informative seminars, as well as demonstrations and cook offs. After 19 years of maturing, I finally discovered what I like to call the “correct approach”. This involves get up early for a quick work out, try really hard not to die, then attending the trade seminars. I have learned that you must drink tons of water during these! Once the trade seminars are over get a quick preview in the Grand Tasting Tent. This time is mostly used to visit with old and new friends, sipping on juice. Once the tent fills up, I head to Ajax Tavern for truffle fries and champagne.
At this point there are choices to make either head back to the room for a quick nap and to sober up a bit or continue sitting at a restaurant or poolside sipping champagne until dinner. I find I always choose the latter. Dinner choices include Cache Cache, Syzygy, Matsuhissa or the best new chef’s dinner. After great food and wine it is time to explore one of the many parties. These usually last at least until three or four in the morning. Then home to bed if you can make it there and wake up the next morning and repeat until Monday. At this point you can see why that morning workout is oh so important, because without it you will never survive this rigorous routine.
My Food and Wine experience this year played out almost exactly as described above. I only missed one day of working out, but that was truly unavoidable. Here are some of the details that makes this weekend so special. I was able to eat Wagyu beef carpacio, wild king salmon tartar, live scallops, crispy uni, miso cod, tempura king crab, Japanese unagi, Muscovy duck, arctic char with watermelon, house cured salumi, pates, artisanal cheeses and some fabulous pork tacos. I was also able to get going early enough on Sunday to make duck confit hash with poached eggs and aged gouda hollandaise for breakfast. Billecart salmon brut rose was amongst my favorite champagne consumed. Patron Tequila hosted a party on Friday evening. This event is what pushed me over the edge. The wine all day, the tequila all night, and my dear friend Hendricks at closing caused my downfall. I was off kilter for most of Saturday morning but was able to regain enough composure to kick back a few buckets of coronas with friends before heading into the tent and out to the best new chef’s dinner at Aspen Meadows. It was nice to see a couple of Virginians and an old pal from Denver receiving the nod this year.
After all of the food and wine have been enjoyed the real fun and appreciation of this weekend rings clear in the fact that I was able to spend time with many of my friends who I don’t see often enough and meet new chefs, winemakers and entrepreneurs from around the world. This is the main reason that the Aspen Food and Wine Classic is so great. I’ve already set up my accommodations for next year’s event!
